Steam-valve



(Model.) 3 Shets-Sheet 1.

' G. J. ROBERTS.

Steam Valve.

No..237,602. Patented Feb. 8,1881.

iJJZZ M. 2312? 3 Sheets Sheet 2.

GUJ. ROBERTS.

Steam Valve 'No'. 237,602. Patented Feb 8, I881.

FETERS, PNOTQ-UriwGRAPHER WASHINGTON D C (Model) 3 sheetssheet a.

G. J. ROBERTS.

Steam Valve. No 237,602. *Patented b; s,1'ss|.

NPEI'ERS, PHOTQUTMOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. l7v C the main valve with its UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

STEAM- VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 237,602, dated February 8, 1881. Application filed November 20, 1880. (ModeL) To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, GEO. J. ROBERTS, ofDayton, in the county of Montgomery, and in the State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Valves, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l 'is a perspective view of my improved pump. Fig. 2 is a like view of the valves of the steam-cylinder, separated from each other and from theirchestor casing. Fig. 3 is a central longitudinal section of said valve mechanism upon a vertical line, and Fig. 4 is a central crosssection of the same.

Letters of like name and kind refer to like parts in each of the figures.

The design of my invention is to increase the efficiency and render more certain the action of the steam-valves of reciprocating steampumps in which no crank-shaft or fly-whcel is employed.

It consists, principally, in combining with the pistons of a sliding steam-valve, and with cylinders which receive said pistons, a separate frame which supports said cylinders and moves with and conforms to the vertical and lateral positions of said valve, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

1t consists, further, in a steam-valve for controlling the operations of the piston of asteam-pump, which is indirectly and directly moved by a supplemental or secondary steamvalve, that is loosely connected with and operated by a valve-rod, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown. 7

It consists, further, in the construction and combination of the secondary valve and its operating-arm, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter set forth.

It consists, further, in the combination of pistons, the cylinders, the separate supporting-frame, and the steamchest, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter shown and described.

It consists, finally, in the combination of the main and secondary valves, the cylinder, and the moving supporting-frame with the steamchest, andwith, means employed for moving said secondary valve, substantially as and for the purpose hereinafter specified.

In the annexed drawings, A represents the water-cylinder, and B the steam-cylinder, of my pump, connected together in the usual manner, and each provided with a pist,on,which is attached to one end of a rod, 0, that passes through packed openings in the inner heads of said cylinders.

The steam-cylinder B is provided at its upper side with a valve-seat, 1), within which are the usual inlet and exhaust ports, I) and b respectively, while over said valve-seat is placed a steam-chest, D, that preferably has the form of a cylinder, with its ends inclosed by heads 61 and cl. The valve-seat 1) extends upward into the steam-chest D, above the bottom Wall of the same, so that its en tire face is in relief or clear, and at each end has a length outside of the inlet-ports b substantially equal to the width of the latter.

Resting upon thevalve-seat b is a slide-valve, E, which contains within its face, at each side of its center, two D-shaped recesses, c and e, that have lengths corresponding to the lengths of the ports I) and b, and a width sufficient to enable each recess to coincide with one of said inlet-ports b, and to extend over the contiguous end of saidvalveseat a distance equal to the width of such port, so as to permit steam to pass from said steam-chest through said recess into said port, and through the latter into the cylinder B. The relative size and arrangement of the ports I) and b and the distance between the recesses e and e are such as to cause each of said ports to be covered when the valve E is placed centrally, while upon moving said valve in either direction the rear inlet-port will be connected With the exhaustport before the front inlet-portis in connection with the steam-space of the steam-chest, so as to insure the exhaust of steam from one end of the cylinder B before steam is admitted to the opposite end of the same.

Formed upon and extending longitudinally in opposite directions from the upper portion of the ends of the valve E are two pistons, E, each of which is neatly fitted within one end of a cylinder, F, that is closed at its opposite end, and provided at such point with an outward-projecting flange, f. Said cylinders are supported by or within a frame, which consists of two rings, 9 and g, for the reception of said cylinders, connected together by two parallel bars, G, which rest upon the upper face of said valve, at each side of its central raised portion. Said rings coincide axially with the axes of said pistons, and, when containing said cylinders, insure the axial positions of the same.

The flanges fof the cylinders F engage with the outer ends of the rings g, and the length of the supporting-frame G is such as to cause the closed ends of said cylinders to bear lightly against the heads (I of the steam-chest D. The space between the side bars and rings of said supporting-frame is sufiicient to permit the valve E to move freely to the limit of its motion in each direction, while the projection of each piston beyond said valve E is such as to cause it to impinge against the closed end of its cylinder F when said valve has reached the desired limit of its motion in such direction.

Between the inner ends of the pistons E is a valve-seat, E which is horizontal, and is provided with a central exhaust-port, c, that extends downward through the valve E, and has its lower end in communication with the exhaust-port Z) of the cylinder B, while upon each side of said port 0 is an inlet-port, 0 which extends downward a short distance, and thence horizontally outward to the outer end of the contiguous piston E, making a communication between the steam-chest and theinterior of the cylinder F.

Resting upon the valve-seat E is an ordinary D-valve, H, which, by reciprocating lengthwise of said valve-seat, will cause steam to be alternately admitted to and exhausted from each cylinder F, such steam operatingin each cylinder to drive its piston E outward, and thus cause the main valveE to be reciprocated upon its seat.

In order to prevent lateral displacement, each side edge of the valve H has a downward-extending flange, h, which engages with and bears against the contiguous side edge of the valve-seat E The secondary valve H is actuated by means of an arm or dog, I, which is secured to and extends laterally from a valve-rod, 1, that passes through stuffing-boxes d and d in the heads (1 and d of the steam-chest D, at one side of the axial center. The end of said arm rests upon the upper side of said valve and engages with two lugs, it, that are provided at each end of the same, so that when said valve-rod I is moved in either direction said arm will engage with and move said secondary valve in the same direction.

The valve-rod I is actuated by means of a tappet-arm,1, which is attached to and extends upward from the piston-rod O, and at its upper end encircles or spans said valverod and engages with two collars, t" and i, placed upon the same.

The operation of the mechanism is as follows, viz When the main piston nears the end of its stroke in either direction the tappet-arm K engages with and moves the valve-rod I in the same direction until the arm I engages with and moves the secondary valve H, so as to admit steam to the cylinder F in the rear. Upon entering the cylinder F the steam acts upon the piston E and forces the same outward, and causes the main valve E to movein the same direction to the limit of its motion, and thereby to admit steam into one end of the steam-cylinder B, and to exhaust the steam from the opposite end of the same, causing the steam and water pistons to change their direction, and to move toward the opposite ends of their cylinders.

The operation described is repeated at each end of the stroke of the main piston, so as to arrest its motion and to cause it to return to the opposite end of the cylinder, and as the amount of movement of the valve-rod necessary for the operation of the secondary valve is but slight and the friction small, and as the main valve is certain to be moved by the steam as soon as said secondary valve is shifted,it is practicable to run the pumping-engine at an extremely low rate of speed without rendering it liable to stop in consequence of a failure to shift the steam.

The movements of the main and secondary valves are in the same direction, and in order that the former may not stick and fail to shift after the latter has been shifted, two lugs, t and i, are secured upon opposite sides of the arm I, and,passing between the lugs h at the ends of said secondary valve H, impinge upon the inner end of the contiguous cylinder E just before the corresponding end ofsaid valve comes into contact with the same, the result being that said main valve receives an impulse directly from said arm in case that the steampressure within the cylinder F has not been sufficient to move it.

It will be seen that precisely the same result will be secured if the end of the secondary valve impinges upon and moves the main valve, the only object gained by causing the operating-arm to perform directly such office being the avoidance of wear of and injury to said secondary valve. This arrangement-renders it impossible for the steam and water pistons to strike the heads of their cylinders, as the main valve must be shifted directly or indirectly by the motion of the operating-arm before said pistons can reach the limits of their motion in either direction.

The position of the operating-arm I with relation to the secondary valve H and valverod 1 renders it impossible that said arm should in any manner cramp said valve or cause the same undue friction, all verticalmotion in consequence of expansion or contraction, or of wear, being compensated for by the rise or fall of the outer end of said arm.

In order that the motion of the main valve may be arrested without noise or jar, a dashpot, f, is provided within the outer closed end of each cylinder F, and upon the outer end of each piston E is formed a plunger, 0 which closely fills the same. The'operation of said parts is to cushion said valve and to cause it to move without noise.

Having thus fully set forth the nature and merits of my invention, what I claim as new 1S 1. In combination with the pistons of a sliding steam-valve, and with cylinders which receive said pistons, a separate frame which supports said cylinders and moves with and conforms to the vertical and lateral positions of said valve, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. A steam-valve for controlling the operations of the piston of a steam-pump, which is indirectly and directly moved by a supplemental or secondary steam-valve, that is loosely connected with and operated by a valverod, substantially as and for the purpose shown.

3. The secondary valve H, provided at each end with lugs h, in combination with the operating-arm I, attached to the valve-rod I, and

provided with the lugs 71 and z, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

4. The combination of the main valve E, provided with the pistons E, the cylinders F, the separate supporting-frame G g, and the steam-chest D, substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

5. The combination of the main valve E, provided with the pistons E, the secondary valve H, the cylinders F, and the moving supporting-frame G g, with each other, the steamchest D, and with means for operating said secondary valve, substantially as and for the purpose specified. 3 5

In testimony that I claim the foregoing 1 have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of November, 1880.

GEO. J. ROBERTS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. E. SWADENER, M. J. SWADENER. 

